Another quarter is passing us by, and small businesses are all the rage, lately. With the current attempt to beat the economy into submission, the little guys are suffering much more than the corporate giants. But with this fact comes another: people are more eager to buy from small businesses, and stay away from the soulless conglomerates that are a big part of the problem with the global market.

In fact, a recent study done for National Small Business Week by WebVisible found that 83% of consumers asked said they prefer buying from a small business, versus a large corporation or chain. They cited reasons such as wanting to support their community, liking the more personalized service, and cheaper prices on a larger scale. But taking advantage of this means you have to be seen.

We have spoken a lot in past weeks about some of the more common marketing moneymakers on the Internet. But sometimes you need good old fashioned advertising techniques, especially now that they are so out they are in. You have a fresh start in many of the old ways of getting noticed, and you should utilize this resource to the best of your ability.

Newspapers

More and more, people are checking up on newspaper ads to find what they need. Smaller classified ads for your company can be a cheap way to get your name out there. They immediately reach a double audience: most newspapers also put everything printed on paper onto their official website. This will give you both shots in the proverbial arm, and kill two birds with one stone.

But enough metaphors. Newspapers have one thing going for them that is rare these days: credibility. There is a certain amount of trust from local papers from the people who read them. Being advertised in one is a great way to cash in on some of that loyalty.

Depending on the size of the ad, the paper, and the length of time advertised, you will usually spend between $200 – $20,000. Obviously, you would want to be at the lower end of the scale, which is usually the cost for a local run. If you are looking for a full page ad in a local paper, you are looking at around $400. Running a national ad will take you to the higher end.

TV Slots

OK, not cheap, but a television commercial is worth the cost, as it brings back dividends. Just a few seconds on the TV, especially with a clever hook, and you will catch a lot of attention. Companies like Comcast will offer small businesses in an area cheaper rates, and also add you to their On Demand feature. This is expensive, but might also be a great investment. If not, a local station will run an ad for less than you think.

The exact cost of the commercial will depend a lot on how much you put in to producing it, and what time slot you pay for. You will want to get a chart from local stations running cable networks for an exact estimate of cost versus audience. But if you catch a time slot during the afternoon, you are looking at around $60 (per 1000 views). Costs of $1 – $5 (per 1000 views) are common for 30 seconds in the midnight – 5AM hours.

As for the commercial itself, if you keep production low for a simple commercial that uses creativity over effects, you can create one for a few hundred bucks. This is especially cheap if you decide to be in the commercial yourself, as well as your employees.

Of course, don’t forget to add up the cost of creating the ads itself. Nowaday almost anyone can create homemade videos at incredibly low cost, but remember that a bad ads especially on TV can backfire you. One suggestion for you, is to put that ads first on YuoTube and see how people re-act to it.

Mailers

While they used to be annoying, they are now usually much more useful to the local business. Fliers telling about deals and sales can be printed cheaply, and sent out to local consumers with their mail. With everyone trying to save a few bucks, people are really starting to pay attention to these ads again. Want proof? Think of the last time you picked up the mail. Did you look through the weekly deal at your neighborhood grocer or retailer? Have you seen the various forums popping up all over the net, offering tips of finding the best, cheapest deals around town?

Radio Slots

Significantly cheaper than a TV slot, a radio commercial is a great way to get your name out to both people, and to other businesses. Just think of how many people will hear you all over your city…listening in the car, at home, at work. Even people in other businesses will likely hear you from the station on the radio overhead.

You can usually find usually find the radio time slots for around $100, which will offer anywhere from 20 – 30 seconds a piece. The reason these are cheaper than television slots is the production of the commercial itself. There are usually very few expenses involved, and they are easily changed to reflect current deals.

Business Affiliation or Resource Groups

Listing yourself with a local community is a great way to advertise. There are affiliate groups all over, and unions, trade groups, and resource lists you can get on. They are usually involved in community efforts, which are sponsored by those companies. How many times have you seen a sponsor banner at a local charity or entertainment event?

Sometimes the old ways are the good ways. Utilize the full extent of your advertising potential, and don’t rule anything out. You could be missing out on a lot of publicity, if you do.